


Closer when we're voices in the dark

by selfinduced



Series: ways to say i love you [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-25 10:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12529096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selfinduced/pseuds/selfinduced
Summary: The story of the time Jace spent a whole month waking up under Robert's desk every morning.





	Closer when we're voices in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> Co-created with [willowsmarika](http://willowsmarika.tumblr.com) who not only put up with my 4am desire to recreate the contents of Alec's phone, but actually did it for me--most graphics, formatting, and all patient handholding are by her. [Click here for her sparkly version of the last chapter on her tumblr](https://foshriizzle.tumblr.com/post/166846172099/willowsmarika-alexander-gideon-lightwood-feat)!

Alec went on his first away training at the Dublin institute when Jace was eleven. Alec was fourteen and had already been on several, but those had come before Jace knew him, so as far as Jace was concerned, this was the first time Alec had gone anywhere. Jace studied everything he could about the shadow world in Ireland and what to warn Alec about (leprechauns apparently) and stood quietly at attention while they waited at the portal, but Alec rolled his eyes at the hand Jace held out and pulled him into a hug. 

"I'll be back before you know it, ok? Take care of everyone and especially Izzy. She keeps stealing knives for extra practice but she's not supposed to have the sharp ones yet."

Jace nodded, finding his throat closed and unable to make sounds so he turned his head just a little to press his face into Alec's cheek.

"I'll send you a fire message as soon as I'm there. And mom says I'll have time to train on my own every day so we'll talk then. Every day, I promise."

Jace wanted to protest that they didn't have to, he wasn't a baby. But he couldn't make words and then Alec was gone. 

Alec's fire message came when Jace was sneaking the remnants of a spice cake into his room after dinner. He knew he didn't have to sneak anything anywhere, but old habits died hard, and Jace's room had enough food stockpiled to last through a zombie apocalypse if necessary. Most of it cake.

 

"Go to my dad's office. I'm gonna use the institute phone here." Alec's neat scrawl had the slight waver of excitement that most people wouldn't have seen.

Jace found himself waking up under Robert's desk the next morning, tangled in the cord of the institute's main phone. He didn't know what they talked about. Whatever it was, left him warm instead of lonely going through the rest of his day without Alec. And although neither of them slept very much (Alec even less so, because dinner time for Jace was almost midnight for him) that month, their training and studies seemed to go better than ever. 

On Alec's first night back home, Jace knew he'd be tired already, time zones and all, so he dutifully left Alec alone to sleep and went to his own room to lie wide awake by himself. Maryse and Robert had decided today that Jace and Izzy needed cell phones of their own too after all, and there was a brand new box he had been waiting to open with Alec. He opened it now, putting in Alec's number. He tried typing a text to Alec. Then deleted it. Then wrote it again.

He nearly jumped off the bed when the phone started buzzing in his hand immediately, "Alec?" 

"I can't sleep." 

"Are you literally calling me from your room? The next room over?" Jace laughed. 

"Wanted to test the phone. Plus, you texted me first." 

"Come to my room." 

In a minute Alec was there, climbing into the other side of Jace's bed. Jace felt a profound sense of relief. They'd been talking every night, and it was weird trying to fall asleep without hearing Alec murmur sleepily about his day.  

When Jace saw Alec's eyes droop even though he nodded as if he were still listening to Jace, he smiled. And, when Alec hadn't opened his eyes for a while, Jace pulled the comforter over him and settled back to rest his head on his folded arms and look quietly at his future parabatai. 

It had been nice to talk to Alec every night, and it was even better now to have him right here where Jace could see him and touch him. On impulse, he reached out and brushed the curls of hair off Alec's forehead, feeling warm and content and fulfilled. His Alec was very handsome. He was glad Alec was going to be his parabatai. Together, they were going to save the whole world and be the best shadowhunters anyone had seen since Jonathan and David. 

Although, Jace frowned a little, he seemed to be getting taller faster than Jace could catch up to. But that was okay too. It made Jace train harder to be able to beat him despite having a shorter reach. Everything about Alec was perfect. From how super tall he was, to his voice that was getting lower, and how he was super smart and knew everything. Jace loved his smile the most, he decided. Alec's smile made Jace happy and warm even more than spice cake or when Maryse hugged him and told him he was good. 

Jace angled his head towards Alec's and drew some of the covers over himself and slept.


End file.
